1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a computer program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there are known image processing apparatuses called multifunction peripherals (MFPs) each of which contains a plurality of functions of, for example, a copier, a scanner, a printer, and a facsimile apparatus in one housing. Such an MFP is provided with software programs corresponding to the copier, the scanner, the printer, and the facsimile apparatus, and selects and executes each of the software programs so as to operate as each of the copier, the scanner, the printer, and the facsimile apparatus.
Such a conventional MFP is provided with a display/operation unit, such as a touch panel, so that a user can make settings for executing the various functions mentioned above. Recent MFPs have multiple functions and an increased number of items to be set, and thus is required to display a user-friendly setting screen and to reduce a burden of operation for setting by the user.
In order to reduce a burden of operation, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-070365 discloses a technique of an MFP in which, when a user selects a desired item from high-level set items displayed on an operation panel, the operation panel displays overview information on mid-level set items corresponding to the selected high-level set item and low-level set items corresponding to each of the mid-level set items.
There is also known an MFP that can store, in a memory, registered values for set items for predetermined functions entered from the user, and can execute a function using a previously set registered value by calling up the stored register value.
However, in order to execute a predetermined function using a registered value already stored in the memory of the MFP as described above, the user must first display a function list screen on the operation panel and then must select on the function list screen the function to be executed so as to display a list screen of the registered values set for the function to be executed, and the user must further select the desired registered value on the list screen of the registered values, thus resulting in a cumbersome operation. Therefore, there has been a problem that it is troublesome to execute a function for which registered values are set.
Therefore, there is a need for an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a computer program product that are capable of executing with a simple operation a function for which registered values are set.